Love Again, Love for Them: A Novel

by Lee, R. A.

  There was a clause for taking care of her son and her mother in the event they decided to part ways after a year.

  Brooke was to present herself as his wife to his mother and act accordingly. She was to be a companion for his mother.

  If either decided to dissolve the arrangement within one year, Brooke would leave with nothing.

  Jake could dissolve the relationship if Brooke did not uphold her end of the arrangement in presenting herself as a dutiful wife in his mother’s eyes, and companion to her mother-in-law.

  “I have to be,” Brooke asserted. They went to a notary, signed the papers and then Brooke called the man’s lawyer’s office to have them picked up.

  Hours later, Melinda called to say an appointment had been set at city hall for the next Friday.

  Brooke took a deep breath and agreed to the date.

  After sending MJ off to school the morning of her second wedding, Brooke put on a dress she borrowed from Melinda. It was a long floral gown that she could have just as easily worn to a dinner party.

  Of all the preparations she made, the hardest was taking off her gold band. Eight years earlier the ring was meant to stay on her finger forever. It was a symbol of enduring love and it was the last remnant of her first marriage. For an hour, Brooke slid the snug fitting ring up and down her finger each time unable to take the ring off her finger.

  It was the last step to putting away the past. This was a new day with a new man. Without thinking, she pulled it off like a bandage that had been kept on too long. Brooke couldn’t look at the ring. Stuffing it in her suitcase for safekeeping, she left to meet her new husband at city hall.

  Melinda drove her and she would be the witness.

  “Are you sure you didn’t want to meet him first, have a date, get to know each other?” Melinda sounded nervous for her friend who was about to walk down the aisle with a man she had only met for a few hours at a bar.

  “Why?” Brooke shrugged. “I just want to get this done so that I can get on with my life. If I stop and think about this…”

  “I understand,” Melinda whispered.

  At city hall, Brooke waited as Melinda talked to the lawyer and they worked on the license and appointment with the judge. A long line of happy couples waited to get their licenses.

  Melinda came back to Brooke and showed her the paperwork that had to be signed in front of the judge. The man, Jake, was late.

  What if he never showed up?

  Brooke suddenly needed to be alone. Looking at all the couples hugging made her angry.

  As she headed back to Melinda, she saw the man with the green eyes talking to Melinda and Brooke stopped.

  Melinda, the man with green eyes and the lawyer noticed Brooke frozen in the hallway.

  “Parker, Jake Parker,” an officer of the court called. The man with green eyes turned and walked up to the officer to announce he was present.

  Melinda bit her lip knowing Brooke was expecting one of the men she had met at the party. Not the stranger from the bar.

  Walking up to Brooke, she pulled her aside and explained.

  “He was supposed to be there that night,” she reasoned with her friend. “He wasn’t comfortable with the situation either. When I saw you talking to him and he said he would be interested, I didn’t want to freak you out. He’s a nice guy. I used to hang out with him back when I was married to my husband.”

  Jake stood by his lawyer and waited patiently for Brooke to make her final decision.

  “It’s not a problem,” Brooke shrugged, not breaking eye contact. Brooke pulled Melinda back to Jake and his lawyer.

  “Nice to see you again,” Brooke said, holding out her hand. “I’m Brooke.”

  Jake took her hand and shook it as if they were business partners.

  “Jake,” he said. Dressed in a dark blue suit, his wavy dark hair carefully parted to the side, they looked as if they were two people going to a special event. “Do you want to talk for a moment? Do you have any questions?”

  “Only if you do,” Brooke insisted.

  “Let’s talk for a moment,” he suggested. Brooke felt her stomach and throat get tight. Had he changed his mind?

  For some reason that would be more humiliating than the arrangement she was about to enter into with a man she did not know.

  “I know it’s in the agreement and you understand the terms,” he said, making sure Brooke was really sure she wanted to go through with the arrangement. “I really need you to understand that my mother has to believe we’re married.”

  Brooke looked at the businessman who seemed so confident and professional. This guy worried about what his mother thought?

  “I understand,” Brooke insisted. “I will be the model wife. I’ve had practice,” she said, making light of the moment. A flicker of an emotion Brooke couldn’t place appeared in his eyes. Looking puzzled, he apologized for not introducing himself at the bar that night.

  “I saw you take down that man and I was about to walk out,” he confessed. Brooke cringed.

  “I was not myself,” she explained.

  “Maybe you were,” he shrugged.

  “We need to do this before I think about it too much,” Brooke insisted when he continued scrutinizing her.

  “I’m ready,” he said. Brooke nodded and they headed back. The lawyer spoke with the officer of the court and within minutes the judge declared them married and everybody signed the papers making it official.

  There was no kiss and no official introduction of the newlyweds.

  Heading out, Melinda told them to hold on. Before Brooke could protest, Melinda took a picture.

  “This is where I leave you,” Jake said and held out his hand. Brooke shook it and stood in the hallway again alone with Melinda and the lawyer.

  The lawyer pulled out a manila package he was holding under his arm and waited impatiently for Brooke to accept it from him.

  “All the details and copies of the pre nup are in here,” he said, handing the package to Brooke. Taking it from his hand, Brooke thanked him and the lawyer left.

  Brooke just stared at the package containing the details of her new life.

  “Congratulations,” Melinda said, putting her arm over Brooke’s shoulder.

  “Take me home,” Brooke whispered.

  Chapter 3

  Brooke sat in the back seat of the sedan hired to take her and her son to the upper class, suburban, gated community where Jake lived with his mother.

  A rental truck followed carrying all of their belongings.

  Brooke looked out the window and wondered what the house would look like, and how his mother would greet them. Jake would not be there.

  How could such a confident looking man be such a coward?

  The packet contained all the information Brooke needed to know about their arrangement. She kept the notes about the details of their relationship in her purse for reference.

  Pulling up to a quaint cottage behind a white-picket fence and tall mature trees on a graded hill away from the street, MJ was very excited.

  “Is this our new house!” he exclaimed, trying to undo his seatbelt.

  “Is this the address?” Brooke asked. After passing mansions and larger homes, Brooke was surprised by the modest cottage that looked much older than the rest of the neighborhood showpiece houses.

  “This is it,” he declared. Pulling out an envelope with payment, Brooke handed it to the driver.

  “Let me get your bags,” he said and then helped her out of the car. Brooke helped her son out of his side of the car and they stood staring at their new house.

  Brooke knew she had to go to the kitchen entrance. As they walked up the incline of the cobblestone driveway, Brooke was impressed by a white luxury sedan sitting in the driveway on her way to the side entrance. Knocking on the door and waiting, Brooke knew she would be greeted by Jake’s maid.

  “Mrs. Hurligan?” Brooke said, greeting the older woman who wore an apron. Wiping her hands on the apron, Mr
s. Hurligan nodded and smiled.

  “You must be Jake’s wife,” she beamed and stepped aside. “Make yourself at home.”

  Bending down to MJ’s height she greeted Brooke’s son.

  “Are you hungry, young man?” she asked, knowing he would say yes.

  “I’m MJ,” he said, holding out his hand. Then he looked at Brooke.

  “It’s alright, you can have a snack,” Brooke insisted.

  MJ nodded emphatically.

  Laughing, Mrs. Hurligan offered them a seat at the island and brought sandwiches and a pitcher of iced tea to the table.

  Brooke took in the environment. The kitchen was a large stand-alone room with cabinets that were once very beautiful, but were worn with age. Tiles on the floor were chipped and the island countertop was scarred by years of being used as a cutting board.

  There was a knock at the door.

  “Where do we unload the boxes?” the moving man asked when Mrs. Hurligan greeted him at the door.

  “Bring them this way,” she said and the two men grabbed a box each and Brooke followed through the door leading to the rest of the house.

  The boxes were marked with their names. Mrs. Hurligan took them down a hallway that separated the dining room in the back of the house from the living room in the front of the house.

  Again, Brooke noted the interior had once been glamorous, but now it seemed old, like an elderly person’s home. At the end of the hall were two rooms across from each other and a closed door at the end. Brooke looked up a set of stairs leading to a loft before arriving at their rooms.

  Mrs. Hurligan wanted to know in which room Brooke would like to put her son’s boxes. Brooke quickly looked in both rooms and decided the one facing the backyard would be nice for her son. It was late afternoon and she knew he would get direct sunlight in the morning.

  Brooke also got a glance of a small white house off to the side at the end of the large landscaped backyard.

  The mother-in-law’s house.

  The other room would be where Brooke stayed. Eventually, she had to come up with a good explanation why she wasn’t sharing her husband’s bedroom. There weren’t any notes in the package.

  Sharing his bed was not in the arrangement, but at some point the mother was going to wonder at the arrangement.

  When all the boxes were unloaded, Brooke handed the moving men another envelope from the package and they bowed and left.

  “MJ, I’m going to unpack your boxes, you stay here with Mrs. Hurligan,” she commanded. “Is that alright with you, Mrs. Hurligan?” Brooke asked the cheerful, grandmother-like housekeeper.

  “Of course, dear,” she said and then asked MJ if he wanted to bake cookies.

  MJ screamed his agreement.

  Brooke headed to his room. Why couldn’t Mrs. Hurligan be Jake’s mother? She was sweet and the perfect grandmother type. Based on how Jake asked her to treat his mother, Brooke dreaded the meeting.

  Distracting herself by setting up her son’s room, Brooke unfolded the last box and looked around. This was MJ’s new home. Placing no importance on the moment, Brooke left and unpacked her boxes.

  The cookies were ready when she got back and Brooke helped them eat the delicious chocolate cookies. Face and hands covered in chocolate, MJ licked his fingers.

  Mrs. Hurligan untied her apron and placed it on a hook by the door.

  “It’s been nice meeting you,” she said while putting on her coat and making sure they were settled in. Brooke knew she only worked a few days a week.

  “Thank you for everything,” Brooke said, desperately wanting the kind woman to stay and not leave Brooke alone in her own house.

  “Bye!” MJ called and Mrs. Hurligan smiled and left.

  “Bath time,” Brooke declared. MJ was about to put his chocolate covered hands on the door when Brooke stopped him.

  “Wait!” Grabbing a kitchen towel, Brooke put water on it and wiped her son’s face and hands. MJ wiggled and squirmed and Brooke got most of the chocolate off him and onto the dishcloth.

  “Go see your new room,” she said, setting him free. MJ ran through the swinging door and down the hallway. Finding his room, he yelled and said hello to all his stuffed animals. Standing in the doorway, Brooke watched as her son played as if he were in his old room in their old house.

  After his bath, Brooke sat with him for story time and tucked him into bed.

  “What do you think about your new house?” she asked, looking into the eyes that always reminded Brooke of his father.

  “I like it!” he exclaimed and hugged his favorite teddy bear. Brooke sighed at the worn, tired teddy bear, the last gift from his father.

  MJ was home. It was as simple as that.

  Brooke kissed his forehead, said good-night and turned out the lights as she left.

  There was just one more thing she had to do.

  Heading out the French doors that led to the backyard, Brooke was surprised at the fresh park-like setting of the large backyard. Bright flowers lined the stone walkway and tall trees lined the outer perimeter of the green lawn. There was a patio table and chairs and a lounge chair on a cement deck under a shade tree.

  The path led Brooke to the small house at the end of the yard. Standing in front of the pleasant house, Brooke braced herself for meeting Jake’s mother. It was in their arrangement.

  Knocking as cheerfully as she could, Brooke put a smile on her face and waited to greet his mother.

  What would her mother think about this arrangement? Brooke just told her mother she was getting married again and would be looking into a care home near her new house. Her mother had been overjoyed and Brooke lied about everything. She couldn’t bring herself to explain why she was marrying the man. Brooke held her head in shame as she left her mother. It was at that moment she understood why Jake needed to present this lie to his own mother.

  A minute passed and Brooke was about to knock again when an elderly woman on the other side of the door said she was coming.

  “I’m right here,” she snarled and Brooke kept the smile on her face. The door opened a crack and then wider when his mother decided it wasn’t some guy trying to break into her house.

  “Mrs. Parker?” Brooke greeted the woman.

  “Yes?” she asked impatiently.

  “Hi, I’m Jake’s wife,” she said, holding out her hand. His mother just looked at her up and down and shrugged.

  “Nice to meet you,” she said insincerely and was about to close the door when Brooke asked her if she could come in so they could get to know each other.

  Squinting, Jake’s mother looked like she was going to slam the door in her face. Instead, she opened the door and stood in the entryway with her arms crossed over her elegant sweater. Not much shorter than Brooke, the woman was sophisticated, her white hair perfectly styled and her pantsuit looked expensive. Fury embraced her cloudy eyes and her skin looked smooth and soft with barely a wrinkle under a light powder of blush.

  “So this is how I meet you,” she growled. “My son doesn’t give me the courtesy to meet you before he goes off and gets married.” Huffing, she stood back and looked Brooke up and down. “You’re not Jenny,” she remarked, sizing up Brooke. “Thanks for stopping by,” she said and shut the door on Brooke.

  Closing her mouth, Brooke stood there with her hand still extended in greeting.

  “Nice to meet you, too,” Brooke told the door and headed back to the house.

  Closing the French doors, Brooke turned on the lights in the main area of the house. Did he inherit the house? It looked more like his mother’s house than a bachelor pad. There was lace and heavy wood furniture in the dining room. Crossing over to the living room, Brooke turned on the light next to the front door reserved for guests and noted the dated retro furniture. At one time it must have been very sophisticated, but it was old and Brooke didn’t feel at home.

  Turning off the lights, Brooke went to her room and prepared for her next steps. She had to get MJ enrolled in his
new school and find a nearby care facility for her mother. Jake would not be back for several weeks. He had conveniently scheduled an overseas business meeting so he wouldn’t have to deal with his mother’s fury at stabbing her in the back.

  Brooke couldn’t be angry with the older woman. Her son didn’t respect her. Neither one respected the other. If his mother were more considerate, he wouldn’t have to lie to her.

  Closing her eyes, Brooke said a little prayer. She had lied to her mother as well; she had to protect her from further stress. Either way, they were both lying. Brooke wasn’t any better than Jake.

  Wondering how she would deal with his angry mother out back, Brooke got a call on the phone next to her bed. Looking at the old phone, Brooke picked it up and waited for the other person to speak.

  “Brooke?” Jake’s voice came over the line in pieces.

  “Jake?” she was surprised to hear from the man.

  “Just wanted to make sure you got there alright,” he said loudly above traffic noise from some other part of the world.

  “I unpacked and met your mother,” she informed him.

  “Good,” he said, not asking how it went when his new wife met his mother. Brooke didn’t want to complain. This was part of their arrangement.

  “I’ll be there in a few weeks,” he said loudly. “If you need anything, Mrs. Hurligan can help you. You have my cell number in case of an emergency. I have to go. Good-night,” he said and hung up.

  Shrugging and nodding her head at the businesslike tone of the conversation between the man and his wife, Brooke hung up the phone. The light from the room caught the gold in her new band and Brooke covered it to put it out of her mind. Suddenly, she remembered she had put her first gold band in her suitcase and frantically searched for it.

  Relieved at finding the wedding band, she was emotionally exhausted. Looking around the room, Brooke decided on a hiding place for the ring. On the dresser, as she walked into the en suite bathroom, was a plant. Brooke pushed the golden ring gently into the dirt so that she could see it each time she went into the bathroom.

  There was something missing. Brooke picked up a shirt on the bed and unwrapped the frame with the happy family photo. Placing it on her nightstand, she sat on her bed and longed to be in that photo. Longed for that day years earlier when her future was much happier and there was nothing but hope and love. All she had left was the picture. Touching it, she smiled and said a prayer as she did every time.